


Forever Can Never Be Long Enough For Me

by lupus



Series: Malec Tumblr Prompts [5]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Ficlet, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-20 22:05:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14270520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lupus/pseuds/lupus
Summary: based on a combination of two tumblr prompts:"One has the others head in their lap thinking they’re asleep and tells him how much he loves him and wants to marry him" and "Proposals"-basically just proposal related fluff.





	Forever Can Never Be Long Enough For Me

**Author's Note:**

> i also posted it [here](http://biharley.tumblr.com/post/172781816000) on tumblr so feel free to reblog the ask/give it some love over there as well!!

Magnus had never really considered the idea of marriage with any of his other partners prior to Alec. He had always assumed he’d either live out his days with a string of lovers, like he always had, or that if he found a lifelong partner they would never officially marry. He was fine with that.

And then he met Alec.

It wasn’t just because he knew Alec wanted to get married. He’d been more than well aware of the fact that Alec was traditional in his own way - hence his first almost-marriage. If it were only because Alec wanted to get married, Magnus would do it anyway. But for this first time in his long life, Magnus wanted to bind himself to someone. Forever.

The thoughts started early on, thanks to Alec’s first wedding. In his more creative daydreams, Magnus wondered what it would be like if he were in Lydia’s place. If the kiss they’d shared in front of so many people hadn’t been their first, but the one that would tie them together. If it were Magnus, and not Lydia, that Alec had proposed to. But back then it was just that - a daydream.

But then he and Alec finally got together and Magnus could finally see the reality of it.

Magnus had heard people say “when you know, you know” when it came to relationships, and especially to marriage. Before Alec, he thought the statement was foolish. He’d thought he knew who Camille was, but he was beyond wrong. How could people know so early on in their relationships that they wanted to marry someone they’d only been with for a short time?

Love had made him a fool, it seems, because it all made sense now. There was no one else he could picture himself with, no one else he wanted a future with other than Alec.

Magnus knew all of that from their first kiss.

Maybe even before.

 

* * *

 

It had been barely six months into his relationship with Alec when Magnus found the ring. He was Christmas shopping for Alec in a string of boutiques in Florence. The ring was onyx with intricate carvings around the band. It was masculine, yet beautiful at the same time, and minimalistic enough that Magnus knew it would be perfect for Alec. When he asked the shopkeep about it, he was told that the ring was apparently “centuries” old, which only solidified how perfect it was.

He knew in the Shadowhunter tradition, it was a Wedded Union rune that seals the deal. But seeing as there weren’t many - or any, really - records of a warlock-shadowhunter wedding (Tessa and Will don’t exactly count) Magnus wasn’t sure if the rune would be possible for them.

Rings were traditional and symbolic of a promise, so Magnus bought it, no real plans to propose any time in the near future. But he couldn’t pass up the opportunity of the perfect ring. He knew he’d propose eventually, but he didn’t want it all to be too much too fast for Alec.

So Magnus put the box with the ring somewhere deep in his closet and put the idea of a proposal on the back burner.

 

* * *

 

It’s nearly two years later before Magnus seriously considers the ring again. Things in the shadow world have finally calmed down enough to the point where they’re all still kept quite busy, but they’re not constantly fearing for their lives anymore. It’s rather refreshing.

Alec lives with him in the loft now, and they’ve talked about the next steps, but they haven’t blatantly talked about marriage itself yet.

The subject of Magnus’s mortality - or lack thereof - is still touchy to him and Alec both. Some days, Magnus fears that Alec won’t want to marry Magnus because of it. He knows it’s probably a moot point to stress over, but it still gets to him at times.

He doesn’t know how to bring up the marriage conversation because part of him is terrified of what Alec’s response will be. He knows Alec loves him, and he knows they’re it for each other. There is no doubt about that in his mind, they’ve made it very clear to one another.

But marriage is completely new territory to Magnus, to them both, and he isn’t sure how to go about proposing.

Magnus has many ideas, ranging from dinner in the city to portalling Alec somewhere remote and romantic. But how it really goes down is unexpected yet so simple, and so perfect, that Magnus couldn’t have planned it better himself, even if he tried.

 

* * *

 

They’re relaxing at home on a lazy, warm Sunday when it all happens. Magnus is sprawled across the couch, his head in Alec’s lap. One of Alec’s hands is holding a book, and the other is running through Magnus’s unstyled hair. Magnus leans into the touch like a cat, loving the quiet affection of it all. He’s not sure how long they stay like that. He drifts in and out of sleep, and the next time he’s mostly conscious he’s aware of Alec’s other hand now tracing the features of Magnus’s face.

He keeps his eyes closed, wanting to bask in the moment. Alec’s thumb sweeps across Magnus’s lips as he begins to speak.

“So beautiful,” Alec murmurs. He continues his path along Magnus’s features with gentle fingers.

“I love you so much,” his boyfriend continues. His voice and his hands are so soft, so reverent that Magnus can’t bear to open his eyes in case it breaks the spell they’re in.

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” Alec whispers. “I wish I could keep you forever.”

Magnus’s heart clenches at the admission, and he almost grabs his boyfriend’s hand to let him know that he already has Magnus forever when Alec speaks again.

“I want to marry you.”

The shock of hearing those words has Magnus going rigid, making Alec freeze in return.

Before Alec can say anything else, Magnus is shooting up from the couch and into a sitting position. He’s not sure how the expression on his face reads, but Alec is wide-eyed - shocked, and maybe even a little scared.

“Magnus,” Alec starts. “I...I, uh, thought you were asleep.”

Magnus bypasses that.

“You want to marry to marry me?” he can hear the disbelief in his own voice.

“Magnus, of course I want to marry you,” Alec says like it’s the easiest thing in the world. And maybe it really is the easiest thing in the world, and Magnus has just been overthinking. “I told you once that I didn’t think I could live without you. I don’t want to live without you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Oh, Alexander,” Magnus can nearly feel his heart beating out of his chest. Why he ever had any doubts about this, he isn’t sure now in the face of Alec’s confession.

He reaches in the space between them to cup Alec’s cheek, then closes the distance to kiss him devoutly. He’s so overwhelmed by all that’s going on, he nearly forgets the ring - and the fact that he hasn’t exactly told Alec he wants to marry him, too.

“Come here,” Magnus says excitedly, taking Alec’s hands to pull him up off the couch along with Magnus. Alec looks confused, affectionately so, but follows Magnus to stand in the middle of the room.

Magnus snaps his fingers and the small box with the ring appears in his right hand. Alec’s eyes go wide when he sees the small velvet box, knowing what it is. When Magnus drops to one knee, his eyes widen even more - comically so - and his full lips part in surprise.

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood,” Magnus starts, then inhales shakily. “I love you, and I want you, forever. Will you marry me?”

In a flash, Alec was on his knees, level with Magnus.

“Yes, yes, a million times yes,” Alec whispers between frantic kisses, and Magnus immediately takes the ring out of the box and puts it on Alec’s left ring finger with trembling hands.

Alec admires the ring and murmurs, “it’s perfect,” then they’re laughing and kissing some more, and maybe crying a little bit. When they’ve finally finished and are soaking it all in, Alec’s brow furrows for a moment.

“You already had the ring,” Alec states, and there’s no accusation in his tone.

“Yes. I’ve been thinking about proposing a lot lately. I just wasn’t sure how or where.”

“How long have you had it for?” Alec asks.

Magnus blushes, “I bought it in December... of two years ago.”

Alec looks surprised at that, but pleasantly so. Magnus continues.

“I knew, even in our toughest times, that you’re the one person I want to marry. I was just waiting for the right time.”

“I love you, so much,” Alec says softly, then contemplates for a second, expression turning playful. “But, you know, I _technically_ did propose first.”

Magnus looks over at Alec - at his _fiancé_ \- in faux disbelief. “You simply stated your desire to marry me, I did all the heavy lifting here.”

“Hmmm, keep telling yourself that,” Alec says with a brief peck on Magnus’s lips. “But I still do want to get you a ring too, if that’s okay?”

“Alexander, I would love that,” Magnus says.

“Good, because I was gonna buy you one anyway. To be honest, I’d been planning on it, too,” Alec grins. He stands, pulling Magnus up with him. “So, my darling fiancé, what should we do for dinner?”

“Well, my dearest husband-to-be, I do know this really great Ethiopian place on 44th,” Magnus quipped.

As they walked hand-in-hand to dinner, taking the long way, they spoke of plans for the future.

Magnus could feel the cool weight of the ring on Alec’s left hand against his skin. Nothing had ever felt more right.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked it! feel free to prompt or follow me on [tumblr :)](http://biharley.tumblr.com/)


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